The Past is Present
by ShadowObsession
Summary: A tale of the Pridelands, of the young lionesses and lions, but mostly of Uru's sons. Does every pawstep which leads them closer to their destinys the fault of their parents, or were they free to choose their paths? Character death in first chapter.
1. A Queen's Treasure

Pairings subject to radical change, probably not announced until the chapter that they are introduced in. Characters limited by chapters. Warnings subject to change per chapter, rating may raise, but I will add a warning if it does. No language warning.

**Warnings: **Character death, mention of blood, vaguely detailed injuries.

**Characters:** Uru, Scar, Mufasa, OCs.

**Other: **Rapid POV switch.

**Disney**:Owns The Lion King and any recognizable characters

~oOo~oOo~oOo~

Simba: But going back mean's I'll have to face my past.

Rafiki:...-whack-

Simba: Oww, jeez! What was that for?

Rafiki: It doesn't matter! It's in the past!

Simba: Yeah, but it still hearts!

Rafiki: Aww, yes, the past can hurt...but the way I see it, you can either run from it, or -swings stick- learn from it. Now what are you going to do?

Simba: First, I'm gonna take your stick.

~oOo~oOo~oOo~

It was a carefully crafted plan, based on a long-ago accident, which the rest of them though was just that – a accident. Unpreventable without prior knowledge. Scar had always been the paranoid type, and it led him to wonder, who would benefit the most from the death of the Queen.

Not Ahadi. He would be severely demoted, from King to former Consort. Taken care of by the lionesses, protected by the Pride, but certainly not King. He was strong-willed and often irritated by Uru's refusal to listen to him, but he loved her. He would never actively attempt to harm the lioness who's royal birth gave him a position within the Pride.

Utamu wasn't old enough to be away from her mentor, and certainly not one like Chozi. Besides, she had never shown any want to be Queen, aside from her cub-hood days, when every cub said they wanted to rule the Pride. She loved her mother, and even with Uru out of the way, she would have had to kill her two older brothers for the crown, something sweet Utamu would never do.

Themba was another choice. His mother's brother was in line for the throne until her three cubs were born. It would be simple for him to kill three young lions after disposing of the Queen. After Uru's death, Themba had been nothing but a loving uncle, guiding Mufasa and Taka as they made their way through life. He was as loyal as any lioness, and he loved his Pride, King or no.

Mufasa, however, was a different story. Scar had disliked his brother since cub-hood, when Ahadi made sure Taka knew he was second-best, and Uru could only do so much without making Mufasa feel inferior. He was a excellent suspect for Uru's murderer, he gained the throne, and his freedom. He would no longer be pulled between his parents, forced to choose between two mates. He could do as he liked. And no matter what Taka did after Uru died, Mufasa acted like a perfect, loving brother.

Nothing could make the young Prince more suspicious.

~oOo~

"Get down!" Taka was knocked off his paws as the Queen slammed into him. They ended up in a tangle of legs and tails, not a good thing in the middle of a herd of buffalo. Uru braced in front of her teenage son and the tiny cub at his paws.

One of the buffalo skidded to the side as Uru roared, but another nearly ran into Taka. Uru grabbed the cub, and scrambled through the herd, toward the side of the gorge. As Taka tried to follow her, he found himself more successful than she at dodging the herd. His was smaller than she, and quicker, but it also made him more vulnerable to glancing kicks.

As the Queen fought to stay on her paws, knocked off balance by the shoulder of a particularly big bull, Taka crouched over the cub, ready to allow himself to be killed to save it. Glancing at his mother, Taka's heart nearly stopped at the sight of blood welling along her dark fur. Uru didn't seem to notice however, she was already lurching up, bracing herself against the ground and rolling to her paws.

Uru subtly favored her side as she snatched the cub up, lunging into a run to prevent herself from being trampled. After a moment, as Taka's pawsteps matched his mother's, he realized she had been slowly edging them toward the canyon wall. She cut sharply across the herd, beginning to become desperate as her lungs strained, ending up in a tangle of limbs as she mis-judged a cow's speed and was knocked head-over-heels to the ground.

"Mum!" Taka dodged through the herd to her side, scrambling around buffalo as he fought to reach his mother, where he found Aheri lying limply on the ground next to her. Uru, still off her paws, shoved the cub at him, in the room between the spooked buffalo.

"Take him and go! Make for the wall!" Taka didn't hesitate, trusting his mother, he grabbed the cub, and darted back into the herd, ducking a leaping buffalo just before it struck him. As he ran, he cast short glances up to the wall. There, just ahead of him, was a tiny ledge. Barely big enough for him to catch a pawhold on, but, maybe, just big enough for Aheri.

It was too close, and the herd too many for him to continue easing toward the wall. With one leap, he sprang to the back of s surprised buffalo, and aimed for the wall. Only one paw caught the ledge, but his claws were enough to keep him from falling back into the deadly storm of hooves. Taka dropped his cousin on the ledge, and used his back feet to propel himself to a running start on the ground, aware that he could only stay there as long as his claws kept their already sliding grasp.

As he ran, his lungs demanded air, legs burned with every stride, his mind raced for any way out of the deathtrap that the usually placid gorge had become. There had to be a way out, there was always a way out. This canyon ended in a sheer drop, or perhaps the river, if he was very lucky. The herd was too spooked to be stopped, and even if it wasn't, the buffalo at the front were, by now, running for the same reason he was. They didn't want to be trampled.

Now, one must forgive the young Prince. Having never hunted here before, mostly due to a lack of prey most of the year, he was unaware of a nook in the wall of the canyon, just big enough for one lion, or, perhaps, two scared yearlings, to squeeze into. He would have continued right past it, loosing his only chance at life, but his mother, who was old and wise, and, in her youth, had once had such need as this, knew.

She knocked him off his paws, again, and sent them rolling into the wall. Some of the buffalo were mere feet from the wall, and Uru only had a moment. She tucked her precious son into the protective niche, and lept backward to prevent herself from being trampled. It would only last a moment, and she knew that there was no where else to go, unless she wanted to leap off the cliff. She lunged straight up.

Her son's wail echoing in her ears, she dug her claws into the cliff, and hung on, desperately hanging onto the vertical surface as the thunder of hooves rang out below her. She slid two paw-lengths for every one she claws up, hanging desperately from what paw-hold she could find, creating one with her claws when none was available.

In the end, she knew when she tried it she couldn't stay there. Uru was one of the largest lionesses in the Pride, and had never been the best in trees. Her claws slid, and slid, and, eventually, she had nothing left to hang onto.

She landed hard, tumbling under the hooves of the herd. A sickening _snap_ told her of her fate before she could even try to stand, and as she began to force herself to three paws, her eyes focused in on her son, "Taka, stay where you are!"

Her son froze, unwilling to directly disobey the Queen, lessons learned as a cub saving his life. The last thing the Queen saw, before her vision went to shockingly brilliant white, and fading slowly to black, was his horrified gaze, locked on her.

_Ahadi's eyes._

~oOo~

"Halsara, I didn't know! I'm so sorry," his brother's voice penetrated the fog that had enveloped, as his mother was trampled under the hooves of the endless herd. Tears dripping from his eyes, he sat up, the thick dust trapping him and his mother in a small, never ending world.

"Aheri! Tau! Aheri!" the lioness voice was hoarse, distant, but in the next moment, she was at his side. Taka didn't understand, how could she be so far away, and so near. He staggered, and slowly slid to the ground, as she stared, disbelief coloring every line of her face.

"Halsara?" Mufasa trotted toward the form in the dust, finding his aunt standing and staring at a lump on the ground. He padded closer, paw-steps slowing as he realized what had happened. His brother was sitting, weaving from side to side unsteadily, tears streaming from wide eyes, which were locked on the body of their mother. Mufasa's blood ran cold as the realization of what he had done hit him.

Queen Uru lay lifelessly on the ground, blood staining her fur, one leg lying at an awkward angle, her ribs a bloody mess, her tail broken, blood pooling on the ground... Mufasa turned away before he could see the damage to her head. In the sudden silence, his brother's desperate attempts to hold back broken sobs echoed through the canyon, bringing the impossible sight before him to life.

"This is all my fault," Mufasa received no answer. Neither the son who had watched his mother die, nor the mother who still sought her cubs were in any condition to comfort him. Swallowing back the urge to run as far away as his paws could take him, Mufasa forced out the only question that mattered right now, "Taka, did you see Aheri or Tau in the stampede?"

For a endless moment, his brother didn't answer, breathing sharpening. Mufasa began to fear that he had caused more death than the tragedy before him, and _cubs_, at that. When he spoke, it was in a dull, hoarse, horror filled whisper, "Down the canyon. I left Aheri on a ledge... Tau...he was already gone."

Halsara stepped around the dead Queen, and trotted back up the canyon, looking for any sign of her cubs. Mufasa slowly approached his brother, pressing into his fur, trying not to look at the lioness that Taka couldn't look away from. "Scar? Brother? Taka, come on... we have to tell the Pride. We have to let them know that... oh Taka, I'm so sorry. If I could take it back..."

Taka dodged backward, staring wide-eyed at his younger brother, "What do you mean? How did this happen?"

"I...I was practicing my stalk down by the south river...a pair of hyenas came up and I chased them off... into the herd, Taka-" his brother jerked away from him, looking young and vulnerable, and so very betrayed that Mufasa's heart broke.

"_You_ did this?" he looked toward the once beautiful lioness on the ground, almost unrecognizable under the blood and damage, and then back at his brother. "You killed her?"

"I didn't mean-" Taka backed away from his brother, casting a glance toward their mother, and then at Mufasa. "Taka. Brother, please... it was an accident. I never meant for this to happen... you have to believe me!"

"This is your fault! You did this! It's always your fault!" Mufasa thought, for a instant, that his brother would attack him, his brother crouched in a defensive pose, snarling, claws digging into the ground. In that moment, he didn't know if he would defend himself if Scar choose to lunge for his neck. Instead, Scar turned on his heels, quickly vanishing into the slowly settling dust.

"Taka!" Mufasa didn't follow him. He sat beside the broken body of his mother, and wept bitterly, tears streaming down his face to land against his fur. When his sobs were dried out, the only sound in the canyon was the call of a lioness searching for two lost cubs.

And when the calls turned to mourning, Mufasa buried his head in his paws, cold shock dimming the world.

~oOo~oOo~oOo~

Reviews greatly appreciated, and if you're logged in, I'll reply as soon as I can.


	2. Such Different Brothers

Copyright Disney(Anything recognizable)

~oOo~

"You cannot continue to go against my decisions," Uru snapped, Ahadi padding past her to block her way.

"It's for the best, Mega's cub will make a good Queen, and his Pride has honor. They will make good allies," he pleaded, the Queen looked as if he'd slapped her.

"That may be, but I have made my decision. Sarabi will be named the Throne Princess. The new King will take her as his mate," Ahadi bristled at her, and despite him outweighing her by far, she didn't so much as blink as he stepped closer to her.

"_Mufasa_ will take Sarafina as his mate," Ahadi snarled "This was decided long ago, Taka was not named the future King."

"Keep your voice down," Uru snapped, glancing at the lioness with four cubs at her belly. "If Mufasa is not a suitable King, then Taka may well take his place. It was never your decision."

"I am the King!" Uru's voice deepened into a snarl, waking the nursing lioness.

"And I am the daughter of Mohatu, the royal Queen!" she snarled, turning away from him to stalk out of the cave, pausing on the ledge above the newly awake lionesses. "I say these words as Queen of the Pridelands: the next Queen shall be Sarabi, daughter of Themba and Halsara. Any who wish to challenge my decision, stand forward."

"You can't do this!"

In her youth, the Queen had been headstrong, but no threat to a skilled fighter, weighing less than most her age. She had been challenged many times in her youth, when her father ruled the Pride, and lost as often as she had won. Now, she outweighed every lioness in her Pride, while being as quick as a cheetah mid-fight. None had won a fight with her in many years. Ahadi was the Pride's best match for the furious Queen.

"I am the Queen, in these lands, my words is law," Ahadi circled around her side, ears pinned to his head.

"I refuse to raise cubs who's lives I have no say in!" Uru met his gaze with unfathomable amber eyes.

"They are my sons. They do not require your presence."

The Pride exchanged nervous glances. The lioness paw shuffled. Not one spoke. Uru padded down the slope, Ahadi taking her place on the ledge, as she gathered her lionesses with a flick of her tail and leading them toward the river. His gaze followed them as they vanished down the path, before leaping down, and turning in the opposite direction, tail-tip flicking back and forth slowly.

~oOo~

"Mum?"

"Mum? Wake up?"

"Wake her up."

"You wake her up!"

"She's awake," Uru sat up slowly, flicking her tail out to pull her sons back into the nest, resting her head on her paws in the hope of a bit more sleep. Mufasa had other plans, as her younger son placed his forepaws on her muzzle and peered down at her with eyes that reminded her of her father's.

"Mum, you promised to show us the Pridelands today!" Uru's response was to cover her face with a paw. Mufasa was undeterred, leaping onto her back and leaning to protest in her ear. "You promised!"

Uru opened one eye, to find the elder of her sons, Taka, who's eyes matched Ahadi's piercing green gaze, sitting at her side with a curious expression. "Do you want us to go play outside?"

Uru lifted her head, and tuned out Mufasa, to study her cub. Mufasa was boisterous and playful. He got along excellently with the others cub, and was the favorite for all the Pride. Even Ahadi took the time to play with the young cub, despite his efforts to remain away from Pride rock for the last six months. Taka was quiet and extremely shy. The other cubs made fun of him, he was not as strong or daring as his brother, and his only playmates were the young Princess of the Maji Pride, Sarafina, and the cub that Uru had selected to be the future Queen, Sarabi.

Admittedly, Uru had done little to discourage this. While it was tradition that the cubs not be told who was the firstborn – and therefore, the next King – until they were adults, she had proclaimed that Mufasa was the firstborn. It would be a disgrace to take it back now, and, yet, it was against the law of her father's reign and her mother's ancestors to name the secondborn the King. She knew very well that if Sarabi and Taka became mates, she would have little trouble changing the mind of her Pride to allow Taka to be King. Mufasa would be an excellent mate for Sarafina, the quiet, sweet young lioness was exactly what he needed.

So Uru ignored the situation, and when Taka told her of the cub's cruelty, she insisted that he go to play with Mufasa instead, for the cubs dared not challenge his stronger, more confident brother. While she could not say she though young Moto and Tau were good influences on her cubs, they needed to learn to protect themselves, and the rough play of their cousins would aid in that.

"No, Taka. Just give me a moment, why don't you go see Sarabi and her sisters before they leave with Themba?" Uru watched her sons bounce over to their uncle, the six cubs would easily overwhelm most of the Pride, but Themba handled them with a wisdom beyond his years, easily coaching them into gentle play with the lighter lioness cubs. As Uru gave her paws and fur a quick wash, she noted that young Sarabi could give as good as she got with Taka, but faltered when the heavier Mufasa jumped in, only to lunge at him when the male was gently moved by Themba's tail.

Stretching slowly, Uru padded out of her den to the two cubs, nodding at her lionesses and ignoring Ahadi, who was basking in the sun while cleaning his paws. Mufasa and Taka bounded up as she approached, and she stretched slowly, enjoying the rising sun. Before Uru could inform her cubs of the plans for the day, Ahadi approached.

"Uru." Her cubs lept at his paws eagerly, Mufasa bracing himself on Ahadi's slippery mane and staring up at the great lion.

"Can we go with you today, dad? Please? We'll be really good, and I'll watch Taka!" The darker cub bristled, at that but Ahadi gently dislodged Mufasa from his mane and looked to her.

"Actually, I was hoping to just take Mufasa out. I don't want them straying too far in the grasslands. Hyenas have been gathering by Rhino Ridge," Uru bristled. He had taken Mufasa out three times in six months, and taken his elder son only once.

"I won't run off, I promise! I'll stay right beside you... and I don't need to be looked after!" Ahadi looked down at the little cub.

"A promise made in the den means nothing once a cub is among the exciting scents and sights of the grasslands," he told Taka, before looking to Uru.

"Aww, mum, can't we go?" Taka asked, looking up at her with huge green eyes. "I've never gone anywhere with dad!"

"He took you out once," Mufasa protested, Taka settled for shooting him a glare and staring at his paws.

"Once. With you. Down to the _watering hole_," Ahadi frowned at that, and interrupted Uru.

"The watering hole is very important. Without it, the animals would have no food to drink, and would leave the Pride-"

"You never take _Mufasa_ just down to the watering hole."

"Do not speak to me in that way. Mufasa is older than you, and stronger, Taka. He can handle-"

"Ahadi. Enough. The water hole is very important to the Pridelands, Taka. Even more so than your father says," Uru straighten to look at her mate as her cub looked crestfallen. "Ahadi, if you wish to take Mufasa paroling, you must take Taka as well. You have two sons."

Ahadi nodded slowly, "I understand that you have other plans. I will take Mufasa out tomorrow."

As his family stood and watched, the golden lion collected his nephews, Moto and Tau, and led them, with their mother, down the rocks. Uru was broken out of her thoughts when Taka squeaked in pain. Mufasa had shoved him, a bit to hard, and sent him sprawling on the ground. "Why do you always have to ruin everything?"

"I didn't do anything! Dad doesn't like you either!" Mufasa snarled, and would have lept onto his fallen brother, had not Uru placed a heavy paw on his tail.

"Enough. Mufasa, you must never strike a lion when he is down, it is the worst of offenses. You should never have pushed your brother in the first place. If you are stronger, and you may not be, it does not mean you can do whatever you like. Would you like it if Taka shoved you in such a way?" Uru scolded her son.

"He couldn't!" Mufasa protested, stopping short at his mother's look.

"Would you have liked it if he did?"

"No." Uru nodded, releasing his tail.

"You must always place yourself in your opponent's shoes before you attack him. It is your duty as a Prince," Mufasa scuffled his feet on the ground.

"But I'm going to be King, aren't I?" Uru bristled at that.

"Where did you hear such a thing?" Mufasa looked up to her, surprised at her anger.

"From dad. He sai-"

"Never mind your father. He does not know that of which he speaks. Listen to me, both of you. You are Princes of the Pridelands, nothing more until the day I join the Ancient Kings. Do you understand?" BOth cubs nodded.

"Very well. Now, if Taka had shoved you, what would you have wanted him to do?" Mufasa looked at his brother, downcast, and gave his version of a formal apology.

"Sorry," Taka nodded, leaping back to his feet to bruh his shoulder against Mufasa's.

"It's okay," Uru purred, and led her cubs down Pride Rock.

"Did I ever tell you about the herd of zebra I came across on my first hunt? I still remember the leader, a vicious stallion who came at me when I tried to hunt his mares," Mufasa, excited again, spoke first.

"Did you catch one?"

"Will you take us to where you made your first kill?"

~oOo~

Complete re-write here. Sorry it's so short again, I'll try and make the next one about ten pages. I'll be able to use pre-written chapters around chapter twelve, I think, but I needed to re-write their entire cubhood. Again, if I re-write this, I'll post it next chapter. Hopefully up Saturday.

Reviews would be nice.


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